Out of the Equation
by Fenrir's Daughter
Summary: Teresa knows she is lucky to have survived the mirror world, but how can she bear to stay with the Battle Force 5 when they look exactly like the ones who hurt her so? Takes place directly after Through The Looking Glass. OC
1. Misery Plus Company

A/N: I wrote this to fill in a few gaps after _Through the Looking Glass_ and possibly even bridge a bit between that and a potential sequel. Here is a slice of life story featuring the BF5 and Tezz's opposite gender Anti from the mirror world, Teresa Volitov. This story takes its place in the FD Canon between _Through the Looking Glass_ and _JOHNNY MONTROSE in: A Learning Experience,_ which basically means after Anti-AJ messes up Zoom but before Regular-AJ starts dating Tezz. Reviews are appreciated!

* * *

Grace hummed to herself offhandedly, not really paying much attention to her surroundings or her mannerisms. Foot traffic at the diner had come to a crawl the past few days, giving her some much needed time to breathe—especially since Zeke was off in the desert doing god-only-knew-what, _again._ The young waitress worried about the old man sometimes, the way his obsession with discovering extraterrestrial life kept him from paying any mind to the life before him.

Yes, things had been slow as of late. In point of fact, the usual customers had seemingly been preoccupied. Sure, Grace had seen a few locals come by—Madame Wise Raven couldn't get enough of Zeke's chili, Sheriff Johnson came in for coffee at least once a day, and Zeke and Lupita Drake were always talking about Star Trek, Doctor Who, or Vlador's Quest—and of course there had been the usual parade of truckers passing through. But thinking back on it, over a week had gone by since she had last seen the crew from Spectra Motors. Closer to two weeks, really.

Grace worried to herself that they had lost more valuable customers to Lucky Panda Chinese, or perhaps that the group had gone to check out a new place up in Sagan. She worried over not hearing back from Zoom in quite a while, either; Grace had thought the night of their date had gone so well…

The waitress groaned at the sound of the bell, rolling her eyes as she put on her friendliest smile. _The show must go on,_ she thought to herself, annoyed at her own thoughts being interrupted.

"Welcome to Zeke's Diner!" she chirped in a practiced friendly tone. "How may I serve you?"

"Just the usual's fine, thanks," Vert said amicably.

Grace grinned genuinely and greeted the Spectra Motors crew with more enthusiasm. "Where have you guys been? I've been bored out of my skull here!" Her eyes fell on Zoom and she blinked.

He looked so tired, but so twitchy. The dark circles beneath the little monk's eyes were deep enough to reveal he had been sleeping poorly, but not deep enough to cover the fading bruises on his face. His left arm was held tightly in a sling; the bandages around it extended all the way to his fingertips, and the young man's right hand didn't look so good, either. Glancing between Zoom and his friends, Grace realized Takazumi was not the only one the worse for wear: AJ looked like he had been in a good old fashioned hockey fight some time before, the bruises only now beginning to fade; Tezz's right arm was not in a sling, but he carried it with a stiffness that suggested there were bandages beneath his shirt; Vert looked exhausted and emotionally drained. But the worst by far was the new girl.

She was not just thin, she was _emaciated. _She was_ half-starved,_ and not in the supermodel kind of way. The girl with the long, black hair was not quite skeletal, but she still looked as if a strong breeze would knock her over. Grace's heart just about broke as the new girl carefully limped to the table, not quite able to make it under her own power. Tezz gently gave her a helping hand; the way the Russian handled himself around her, you would have thought she was made of glass. As she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the waitress understood why. This poor girl's black hair, deep brown eyes, and prominent nose betrayed her as a close relative of young Mr. Volitov. But the terrible bruising beneath her sad, sunken eyes and around her throat, along with her gaunt appearance and clearly pained movements, betrayed her as horrifically abused.

"Is there anything I can get you, dear?" she stammered breathlessly, willing herself not to immediately hug the pathetic creature. Then, to save herself from looking silly, asked the rest: "Any changes to the usual orders?"

The new girl shied away into the corner, studiously avoiding the gazes of her tablemates, and Tezz wound up ordering on her behalf. Such a thing was so curious that Grace could not help thinking about this new addition all the while she worked on their meals. This poor girl had clearly suffered from the look of her, and Grace was concerned enough to wonder about giving Sheriff Johnson a call. But she pushed it from her mind, put on a big smile, and brought their food out to them. She tried to concentrate on tidying up the diner, on anticipating drink refills and the possibility of dessert orders, but the hospitable country girl in her kept her from her duties. Something was wrong, and regardless of whether or not it was her business, it ate away at Grace every time her gaze drifted over to the new girl.

She made her way behind the counter. There just had to be something she could do.

* * *

Teresa ate slowly, every movement of her arm gentle and deliberate, so as to prevent the pain that continued to reoccur in her abdomen. She had not healed enough to warrant the removal of her stiches for another few days, but she finally had at least some limited mobility. Staying in the hub so long had driven her half crazy, and she was happy to at least be somewhere else, if only for a little while.

The Battle Force 5 she had come to know over the course of the previous week had been kinder and gentler than she was certainly used to, but still had their boisterous nature been unbearable. At least the Evil Force 5, as her new compatriots had come to call them, were a tad calmer for the most part. Yes, they were quick to anger, but aside from AJ they mostly kept to themselves and at least she had gotten some peace and quiet once in a while.

But worst of all was how strongly her new team physically resembled the old.

Teresa shuddered at the memory of seeing AJ's smiling face every day, the sweet young man enquiring as to her health and assuring her that everything would be okay. No matter how many times he said it, she had still despaired at the sight of his grin. He looked too much like the AJ she had left behind, the demon Dalton who had taken so much from her. Even in a new environment with new personalities, visions of the Negative 5 haunted Teresa every time she closed her eyes, and she feared that, though her body was healing, her mind might never recover.

Could she stay there indefinitely? Could she really look in the faces of her tormentors, day in and day out, a constant reminder of the suffering she had endured? Condescending, conquest-minded Vert. Vapid, self-centered Agura. Filthy, boorish Stanford. Scowling, unforgiving Zoom. Vicious, ankle-biting Spinner and his heavy-handed, overweight, and his mentally retarded brother, Sherman.

Grinning, psychopathic AJ.

They were all there; if not physically there with her now that she was surrounded by their friendly counterparts, they were with her in spirit.

And deep down, Teresa felt these ghosts would never leave her.

She had thought defecting to the Goodie-Two-Shoes 5 would help her leave that life behind her and move on—this was in fact the last meager hope she had clung to when they had told her of the eclipse, the only thing that kept her from taking her own life—but the last week had proven that notion highly implausible. Teresa now found herself in a nightmare she could never wake up from. The only bright spot in this had been meeting Tezz.

Naturally, she had been shocked to find her opposite was a male, but there had been little time to marvel at the novelty of it. There had been a mutual dislike at first, neither truly trusting the other, but in the thick of battle they had bonded. By blood, they were brother and sister, and after so much pain on both of their parts, the way they had suffered together, they would always and forever more _be_ brother and sister. In her home timeline, Teresa had been an orphan, and she was grateful for this bond. She had been excited to think of Tezz as being family, this young man of intellect equal perhaps even to her own, no longer isolated as she was by the Negative 5. But even with him by her side…

Teresa whimpered. Even with Tezz, she did not believe she would survive long like this. She could not face waking up in the morning, knowing she would have to look at the people who had destroyed her soul and sense of self.

The female genius excused herself to the ladies' room.

* * *

Grace frowned in worry as she watched the pale, thin, girl who looked so much like Tezz stand in the alcove near the stage, an area from which her tablemates could not see her. The poor dear stood with her hands clutched over her ears, trying to will the world away, and a pang of guilt forced Grace's hand.

She looked so surprised when Grace murmured hello, terrified even. But as soon as she saw who it was, her eyes became expressionless. She nodded, but said nothing.

"Here," she said gently, handing over the steaming mug of hot chocolate. "For you, sweetie.

The girl warily accepted the beverage, oddly skeptical. "My brother's friends are paying. I do not have any money readily available."

"It's on the house. I insist. I'm Grace, by the way."

She eyed the waitress carefully. "Teresa Volitov."

Grace smiled as the girl finally took a sip, savoring the way the tension eased out of her features as she drank. They stood in silence for a few awkward moments, and Teresa wished this girl would just leave her alone. Had she not suffered enough? Did she not deserve some peace? Bad enough her 'new life' was already going downhill, now she had this waitress to deal with it.

"I don't mean to pry," Grace said.

Teresa ignored her, saying nothing and concentrating on the hot chocolate. If she did not mean to pry, why was she standing there staring at her?

"It's just…" Grace raised her hand to the female Volitov's shoulder. "If you're in trouble, you can tell me. I'll call the police. No one else has to know."

Teresa blinked in surprise. This odd girl was inquiring after her? The concept of a random person caring whether she lived or died was rather foreign to Teresa, having grown up in the hell she had. Grace's statement had caught her way off guard, and she was unsure how to respond.

"You don't have to suffer in silence," she pleaded, gently taking Teresa's hand in hers. "We can slip out the back if you're scared. I know a place where you'll be safe."

She cared. This random person genuinely cared, and in spite of herself and her own bleak outlook…she smiled.

"Thank you for your concern," she said. "And for your kindness. But you misunderstand the situation."

Grace's voice became more urgent. "Nothing is worth this," she said, gesturing to Teresa's injuries. "I can get you out of here."

"Grace, I assure you, these are old injuries." She gestured to the table, peeking around the corner. "Tezz is my brother, and though I do not know these people, they are his friends. I had never met them…until they risked their lives to save me."

Teresa shivered. "I was trapped in a very bad situation in…the old country," she said, deciding to use a euphemism for the mirror world. "When finally I thought I would die, along came my brother to bring me back to America. I was beaten, stabbed, and dying, and Tezz's friends risked everything to get me here." Her eyes darkened. Why was she opening up to a stranger? This was so unlike her. "This has not been an easy week for me. I am grateful to them for their assistance. I just… I become frightened sometimes. They are kind to me, but I feel sometimes as if I am merely waiting for the next disaster."

Teresa jumped at the hand caressing her cheek, unused as she was to physical contact. It was only when she saw that Grace's hand had come away wet that she realized she had been crying.

The waitress smiled gently. "If you've got a brother like that to help you out, I'm sure everything will be fine. Time heals all wounds." She tucked a strand of hair behind the raven-haired girl's ear. "You've got family here. America is a land of opportunity. You can start over here, Teresa. You'll see; your life _can_ be better, once you decide how you want to live it."

The young Russian lady thought about that for a moment and sighed. "I suppose you are right."

They spoke for a little longer, until Tezz eventually got worried and came looking for Teresa. He was grateful to Grace for keeping her company, but now it was time to go. Leftovers were wrapped up to be taken home, and the Volitovs rode home together in radio silence.

"You seemed to be making friends with Grace," Tezz said warmly. "She is quite kind, from what I know of her. Zoom and Stanford both seem to be quite fond of her."

Teresa gave a bittersweet smile. "She was such a far cry from who I used to know," she said. "So caring, so strong. She has her whole life ahead of her."

Tezz said nothing. Previously, Teresa had stated that Zeke's was a strip club in the mirror world. From this earlier statement, what she had said just then, and the cruel nature of flipped morality, Tezz imagined the Grace that Teresa knew must have been a broken down stripper with cold, dead eyes. He did not want to think about the sweet-natured girl being in such a lamentable position.

* * *

A/N: Originally, this was going to be a oneshot, but for something with no battle, it was too long. So I split it up into three parts. The next two will be up as soon as I can think of a couple of math puns for chapter titles.


	2. Identity Equals Freedom

When Tezz had first returned to Earth from the Red Sentient moon on which he had been stranded, Spinner Cortez had been required to create a paper trail so that it seemed as if he had never left at all. He had picked up exactly where Tezz had left off on his last day at the orphanage and the missing person report, placing him at a refugee camp here, a hostel there, and photoshopping him into surveillance camera footage all over Eastern Europe. He had even created a handful of false names attached to many of these appearances to make it look as if the genius had been on the run and looking to cover his tracks. This way, if anyone ever had cause to look up Tezz Volitov in the system, it would seem as if he had run away from the orphanage and kept himself well hidden as he learned and grew, immigrating to the United States around the time he was hired by Spectra Motors. Because of all this information Spinner had pulled out of his hat, Tezz had a valid driver's license, a work visa, and all the rights afforded to a tax-payer working on obtaining American citizenship.

Now that Teresa was here in their world, she was going to need all of this, too. Thankfully, all the hacker really had to do was build off of the information he had already forged for Tezz.

"First thing we have to decide is if you want to be younger or older than Tezz," Spinner said, typing rapid-fire. "Obviously, you could also be Tezz's fraternal twin, but I thought I'd give you the option."

Teresa hesitated, thoughtful. "I think I would like to be the little sister," she said. "Make my birthday at the end of the previous month, on the twenty-sixth. I can be eleven months younger."

"Baby sis was born on the twenty-sixth of July!" Spin agreed. "Okay, so as far as your quote-unquote history goes, I figured it was fine to make it pretty much the same as Tezz's until the untimely deaths of his—well, yours, too, obviously—parents. …Um, sorry for your loss. Around that time, let's see, he was four, so that would make you three…"

Teresa listened intently as Spinner muttered to himself, breaking and rebuilding codes as he created an identity from nothing. She was lucky to have someone so talented and willing to help on hand; it was fascinating to watch the boy work. But so much of what he said about her new brother's life sounded so familiar. Was it possible that this new world of hope and possibility was not so different from her own? Perhaps their worlds were not perfect opposites after all. So many things were different, yes. But how much was the same?

Teresa remembered the night her father was killed. Her parents had moved around so often after Uncle Demitri was imprisoned, from Siberia to Poland to Chechnya, and finally to Yugoslavia. When the soldiers came to take the village, Sergei was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She and her mother had gone on the run for a time, until finally one day Marinskaia had been wounded. She begged her mother to let them stay together, but she had insisted that Teresa run away and forget that she had ever been Jewish. Marinskaia distracted the men on their trails and allowed her daughter to escape, sacrificing herself for the life of her child. A month after that, Teresa had wound up in a rundown orphanage in Romania. How much of that had been true for Tezz, as well? How much history did they share?

"Okay, we could say you were both at the same orphanage for a bit, but the problem is that at this point in the timeline here Tezz was transferred to a smaller _all-boys_ place that would remember his lack of siblings. So let's say _you_ got transferred to this huge all-_girls_ Catholic-run orphanage up here," he muttered, pointing at a map.

"I hated being separated from my brother and the nuns were awful," Teresa deadpanned. "I am since very averse to churches."

Spinner grinned. "See? Creating a character history can be fun! It's just like fanfiction." He turned back to his keyboard. "Hmm, let's see. Tezz disappeared when he was nine, and everything after that I had to make up because he was on a moon for ten years, so beyond that point we can just say…"

Tezz chimed in. "Say that I hitchhiked all the way to the town where the all-girls orphanage was located," he suggested. "And that I stole her away from that terrible place."

Spin snapped his fingers. "Hey, yeah! That totally works!" Enthusiastically, the young hacker giggled and began typing with renewed vigor. "I already had Tezz be on the run at this point, so I'll just place you at the same hostels, refugee camps, markets, bazaars, etc… Note to self, photoshop some new pictures, and re-photoshop some old ones… Do you want a criminal record?"

Teresa glared, completely aghast. "Of course not!"

"It's just a question, Teresa. You don't have to get offended." Spinner rolled his eyes. "Okay, do you want to have pursued higher learning back in the 'old country'?"

"I suppose a semester at the University of Bucharest." She murmured thoughtfully, debating. "Say that my grades were excellent, and then I dropped out due to…personal problems."

Tezz grimaced. "Grace was asking about the bruises, was she not?"

Teresa nodded in confirmation. "I had to make up a story of you coming back to the 'old country' to rescue me from an abusive relationship. She was quite insistent on learning how I acquired my injuries." The female genius sighed. "In a way, I suppose it is close enough to the actual truth."

She froze as her brother tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking at her with worried eyes. Teresa said nothing and averted her eyes.

"Yeah, because this totally isn't awkward at all," Spinner muttered under his breath. "Look, now that we've got the basics of the story down, I've just got some adjustments to make. I'll come get you when you exist, okay, Teresa?"

"Yes, of course," she mumbled, embarrassed. "Thank you."

Teresa hastily made her way to the room that had become hers since she had begun staying at this cleaner, shinier hub. It took some getting used to, being here on a sunnier Earth, a world where the colors were brighter and the children smiled so much more often. At every turn, she was surprised by the kindness of another human being. The female genius had been kicked around so often she was unsure of how to react whenever someone was good to her. Even with Tezz, who in so many ways was a stranger to her despite their sharing genetics, she would be blindsided every time he smiled at her or offered her the use of his laboratory. Teresa and he were practically the same person, and yet she could not fathom why he would be nice to her when they hardly knew each other.

To top it off, Tezz was not by a longshot showing her the most kindness of anyone at the hub. Sherman was so gentle and sweet, patiently answering her questions about their world. Spinner acted nonchalant about his assistance, but his hacking abilities were basically giving her the freedom and power to live the life she chose. Zoom was so sympathetic, the scout having suffered just a few short hours of what she had endured for six months, and showed her respect for having the strength of will to survive. Vert had been so chivalrous, a gallant white night who felt the need to protect and serve not just Teresa, but all of the innocent people he encountered. Stanford… Well, okay, Stanford was still a selfish, whiny little brat whom had probably been spoiled rotten as a child, but generally he seemed to mean well.

Teresa had been fairly shocked, as well, when Agura had been pleasant and motherly towards her; the evil version of Agura, despite her wicked and wanton ways, had shown her some sympathy and tried to help her hide from Dalton from time to time. Eventually, she had always sold Teresa out, but she had understood that either of them could have been subjected to that demon's vicious moods. Dalton had hated Agura even more than Teresa, if that was possible, and her status as Dark-Vert's concubine was likely the only thing that kept her from being harmed too badly. There are times when you can only save the victim by becoming one yourself and Teresa had not begrudged her cowardice. But this small amount of help she had occasionally received from the one her new teammates called "Anti-Agura" had led Teresa to believe she and Agura would not get along. And now both of these girls had shown her their gentler sides, yet their worlds were supposed to be opposite in every way.

When she first began recovering from her surgery, she had heard the others talk of Spinner's hypothesis that people who held a more neutral alignment—she did not know why he used the word "alignment" but from the context of the discussion she assumed he meant something about morality or possibly temperament—would have relatively the same personality as their "Anti." The Battle Force 5 readily accepted this explanation as for why Teresa and Tezz were so apparently similar as compared to each of the other teammates and their evil counterparts. But what if the two timelines were more closely related than just a total morality flip?

The multiverse could ostensibly exist in an infinite number of combinations, any number of alternate timelines in which some or all people were the opposite _gender_ or in which the dominant form of life on Earth had evolved from wolves instead of apes, or any number of small differences such as marriages breaking up sooner or lasting longer, different people having identical twins, or the world having different predominant religions. For example, there could have been an alternate timeline in which Vert Wheeler had been a Californian street racer who squared off against completely different aliens and killer robots under the instruction of a mad scientist; perhaps in such a timeline his father had been in the army, and Vert had liked to surf. Maybe somewhere out there, Agura was slaying vampires. Perhaps in some other timeline, the Cortez brothers were instead the Cortez sisters, or the British monarchy had dissolved and Stanford was raised as a commoner in Scotland. Maybe, just maybe, there was a time and place where the Red and Blue Sentients had always lived in peace.

Teresa smirked; that last one had been a bit farfetched. But still, there was the possibility that the world in which she now dwelled was **not** a perfect opposite of the one she had recently left. And if that was true, if there were some people who retained certain personality traits, if there were certain strong-willed individuals who were fundamentally the same _no matter what…_then Teresa was in trouble.

She shuddered in revulsion. The female genius could ponder the mysteries of the multiverse all the live-long day, but in the end, it always came back to _him._

There were times when she heard AJ's voice and her blood would freeze in her veins. Everything about the friendly Canadian set her teeth on edge. His deathly pale skin and ice-blue eyes reminded her of a refrigerated corpse. His hair was so blonde it was nearly white, like sun-bleached bones. His teeth were huge, and when he smiled, she felt like she was staring into the jaws of a predator. It was true that he was a little shorter than her, but not by much, and what little height advantage she held was negated by how _wide_ he was; this mountain of a man was thick and muscular with a little extra weight on top to keep him warm in winter. AJ was a big fellow, and despite his constantly cheerful nature, Teresa was very intimidated by his size. Such cheerfulness was clearly meant to put people at ease, but it only put her at attention all the more. At the same time, she perceived this friendly nature as a weakness, the one thing that set him apart from the first AJ she had known. When this AJ smiled, he meant it, and all she could think when she saw how genuinely happy he was, was that he had let his guard down and now was her only chance to end his reign of terror.

Teresa sighed. As nice as the BF5 were all being to her, and as much as an effort as she was making, this was all a bit much. She didn't think she could stay with them and be happy.

"I suppose this life isn't for me," she lamented. "But then, what life will I live?"

_Your life can be better, once you decide how you want to live it._

Yes. That was true, wasn't it? Grace was right. Before her life improved, Teresa had a decision to make. To stay here with her brother's team… Or to go out into the world and find the life that was best for her.

Teresa's memories had not been all bad despite the unstable upbringing she spent fleeing from her war-torn homeland. Her entire life, she had always been on the run. Even on the Red Sentient Moon, there had been times when Teresa was able to be happy. She had always feared for her life and wondered where her next meal would come from, but the female genius had thrilled at the constant discovery and innovation. Studying the Blue Sentient encyclogogues, experiencing the joy of learning, had kept Teresa going in her darkest and most lonesome hours. Perhaps she could recapture that joy. Perhaps… If only she could stay strong and find her own way, perhaps there was hope for this life yet.

Of course, before she could move on, she would have to learn more about her current world. Without further ado, the Russian female found a private computer terminal and started looking up Earth's major history.


	3. Comedy Equals Tragedy Plus Time

Sage watched patiently as the scanners read Teresa's personality, preparing to create a new vehicle for her from scratch, complete with a new shocksuit to replace what she'd been wearing when she was stabbed. The refugee of the mirror world had been terribly injured before crossing over to this timeline and was unable to bring her shadow version of the Split Wire, and if she were to be a member of the Battle Force 5, she would need a vehicle. Now that her body had healed, the time had come.

Of course, the last of the Blue Sentients could tell that Teresa would not be fit for active duty for quite some time. Before joining the Council of Five, one of Sage's primary jobs had been to oversee the mental health of the Blue Sentient warriors who fought at the arena. Humans and Sentients were very different animals, but emotional trauma was universal. The short time that Teresa had spent with the Negative Force 5 had marked her, scarring her mind in ways that would never heal. The pain she had suffered and survived had made her stronger, and the differences between this new car and the Split Wire reflected that. But until she had been given the proper amount of time to come to terms with her captivity and torture, she would be too unstable to send into a combat situation.

But once Teresa was in better shape, she could become an essential asset. The war with the Red Sentients was difficult and long, and there were too many opposing factions and too few combatants on her side for the odds to ever be in the Blue's favor. Having new recruits to assist the original Battle Force 5 and relieve them when physical or mental fatigue set in was vital, especially since humans were so fragile. Finding Tezz had been a Godsend, his intellect matching and surpassing that of Sherman, and his vehicle and skills creating a nice fill-in for Stanford and the Reverb. Recruiting AJ had proven fruitful, too; while his intelligence occasionally left something to be desired, AJ and the Gear Slammer were just as dangerous in battle as the Cortez brothers manning the Buster Tank. It was true that having an extra scout or hunter might have been more useful, but a third artillery vehicle would be of help nonetheless. And as fiercely as Teresa had fought the Battle Force 5 upon their first meeting, even if it was only to fool the Negative Force 5, Sage had the utmost confidence that the new addition to the team would turn the tide. She would spend the resources now and reap the benefits later, when Teresa had psychologically recovered.

Sage smiled to herself as the vehicle was completed, feeling proud of a job well done. The Dark Split Wire had been a more efficient model than the other Negative Force 5 vehicles, being controlled and maintained by an intelligent young lady like Teresa, but the use of Red Sentient technology had nonetheless made it wasteful. The last of the Blue Sentients shook her head in disapproval to think that even an evil version of herself could be so senseless, but the vehicles used by that team were a complete disgrace. It was a shame that someone like Teresa had to drive something so awful.

But now, the process was complete. Teresa's new vehicle ran on clean, environmentally friendly Blue Sentient technology. A few modifications had been made to compliment the girl's personality, as was done for all Battle Force 5 members, and all that was left was to find a new name.

"You must name your vehicle to complete the bonding process, Teresa," Sage said with a beatific smile.

Teresa looked the vehicle over in wonderment. It did resemble her old Split Wire slightly, but only in the way one can tell certain cars are made by the same manufacturer. They shared the same basic superficial resemblance to sports cars, both low to the ground and with aerodynamic shapes. The newly created masterpiece of engineering of course came with an electricity-based weapons system, and also featured a cloaking device. The sharp angles of the Split Wire were subtly subdued into gentle curves, giving the vehicle a more feminine appearance. But this only served to disarm the beholder, luring them into a false sense of security like a beautiful flower with poisonous leaves.

The female Russian sighed contentedly as she caressed the top of the door frame. For the first time she could remember, she had something of her very own, something that no one could take away from her. The past few weeks had come as a bit of a shock to her, but all was for the better, and she knew now that she would thrive in this world.

Teresa smiled. "High Voltage," she said, somewhat dazed with happiness. This was not what Teresa had expected at all, but doubtless her time held captive had changed her, and the creation process did conform to her personality. She was surprised, but she did not care one bit. High Voltage was perfect in every way and Teresa would love it forever. Overcome, she tried to suppress a squeak, but the female Russian was unable to stop the tears.

Sage floated up the girl in concern. "Is something wrong, Teresa?" she asked, gently stroking her shoulder. "If there is a problem, High Voltage can be customized more to your liking."

"I'm sorry! I'm not usually like this," Teresa whined. "I just—" She hiccupped, trying her best not to cry more than she already was. "You've all been so nice to me. I always wished I could be free of the evil Battle Force 5, but I never imagined that dream would come true! I never thought—"

She choked out a sob. "Everything I saw. All those years, all those people still living in bondage."

Tezz stepped in, putting a protective arm around his sister. "But you are free now, Teresa," he said gently, more gentle than anyone would believe him capable of. "You can do anything you want. You have that freedom now."

Teresa sobbed, so upset she forgot her English. The distressed young lady began speaking in Russian. "Мне так жаль," she said. **"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"**

**"You have nothing to apologize for." **He hugged her and awkwardly patted her back. **"You have done nothing wrong, but please stop crying. It is worrisome."**

**"You have all been so kind to me,"** she whined. **"I am grateful for such kindness. But I cannot stay here, not now. All of your friends look so much like—I-I have to be somewhere else. I need time."**

Tezz looked down at her in surprise. **"You are leaving?"** he murmured. **"But where would you go?"**

Teresa wiped away the tears on her face. **"I have been offered a full scholarship to the University of Chicago's physics program. Lodgings, meals, and books would all be covered."**

"**I did not even realize you were looking at colleges,"** Tezz said. He had only just found his sister, and now she was already running off. **"So that's it, then? You are going?"**

**"Summer courses do not begin for another three weeks. I will stay until then." **The female genius looked away from her brother, unable to meet his gaze.** "Tezz, please, understand. Living here, I have to look my…assailants…in the eye every day. I know logically that you and the others are good people, but in my heart I am terrified. I need to go out and see the world. I need time to heal. And this is a great opportunity for me."**

Teresa turned to face the rest of the team, speaking in English once more. "I am grateful to all of you for helping me," she said solemnly. "But I do not believe that in my current mental state I would be a good fit for your team. If you would permit me to do so, I would leave." She bowed her head in deference. "Please at least take it under consideration to allow me to go."

Vert looked at her in confusion. "Teresa," he said gently, "If you don't want to stay here, nothing's stopping you. You're an adult. You can handle yourself."

Teresa sighed gratefully. She had been terrified that Vert would demand she stay to keep their secret, knowing the stress of such an arrangement would kill her. "I suppose that's it, then," she said, relieved. "I have already begun making arrangements for the move. In less than a month's time, I shall be out of your way."

Vert nodded in understanding. "I know it can't be easy for you to stay here," he said, "When we all look like them. Maybe this is for the best."

Sage smiled. "We will all miss you, Teresa," she said. "I wish you luck in your future endeavors."

Teresa looked at her new vehicle.

She was not free of her personal demons.

But time heals all wounds.

* * *

A/N: Aaaaaand that's that. Teresa goes off to college, enrolling at the University of Chicago. YAY LEARNING THE END.


End file.
